There have been many attempts to prevent the illegal use of credit cards in shopping malls, by telephone, Internet and especially Automated Teller Machines (ATM).
These efforts include Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) the use of mother's maiden names as a secret identification, and requiring credit card holders to use additional ID cards such as a driver license. All attempts to use static information have drawbacks since they are easily learned and passed on to other users. Once the static identification number is learned, it may be used to make fraudulent credit card purchases until the fraud is detected and the credit card account is closed.
A token-based digital identity device is available from ActivCard of Fremont, Calif. This device generates a one-time-use password and uses a two-factor authentication which requires the user to have the token and know the PIN. Unlike static passwords, the generated dynamic passwords cannot be reused or guessed. ActivCard also provides an ActivCard Mini Token wherein a one-touch, one-time password is generated by pressing a single button on the token device.